The word repentance has a definite religious feel to it. Perhaps I have watched too many movies but I can’t help but see in my minds eye a preacher in some old black and white B-movie screaming at someone or their congregation to REPENT or else. Living on the Spiritual Basis what does it mean to repent?
Repent: vti
1. be sorry: to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
2. religion change ways: to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits (Encarta)
Ok, to feel sorry about something done or said and to change our ways how simple (to feel sorry), but not easy to do (truly change). Living on the new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on God action is required. A simple acceptance of past mistakes and a mumbled “sorry” won’t fit the bill at all. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires work on our part. One of the traps those new to the process fall into is to rehash, which reinvigorates, old hurts and mistakes. To be clear: We do not shut the door on the past or wish to deny it, but we do not allow ourselves to drift into morbid reflection. To do so takes us out of the moment (in service) and we drift into remorse and negative self-reflection (bondage of self). Our past is a great tool, often the best, for helping those new to the process to progress, but we can be of little use if we are wallowing in self-pity or pointless remorse. On our own we are powerless to affect any real lasting change at our core, by relying on a Power Greater Than Ourselves real change is affected, the past put in proper perspective and its power over us removed, we are Free. No Elmer Gantry required.
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